Do red cars really get pulled over more?

One of the dreaded evils of driving is getting pulled over by the police.

This event can ruin a perfectly good day and can be very hard on your bank account.

Even though a police officer or highway patrolman is just doing his or her job to keep the roadways safe, some drivers feel like they have a target on their backs. While others race by going 20 miles an hour over the speed limit, they seem to get pulled over every time their speedometer edges over the speed limit.

For these drivers there is hope. There are steps you can take to remove the target from your back bumper and avoid getting pulled over.

Myths and urban legends

Driving provides you with freedom to go where you want, when you want. However, it is considered a privilege by the law and not a right. If you break driving laws you can quickly rack up fines and points in some states.

If you're not careful, you can even have your license either temporarily or permanently suspended.

The dread that is associated with getting pulled over has created several myths and urban legends about what will increase your chances of getting pulled over. These supposed rules are generally not true.

Perhaps the most believed urban legend about what will get you pulled over is what you're driving. Some legends suggest that insurance agents will charge you more for insuring a red car because they get pulled over more, some suggest that the color red affects your driving behavior and leads to more traffic violations. Others say that the color makes a car look like it's going faster than it really is. Still others suggests that red cars are more eye-catching, so police target them more frequently.

While there have been relatively few studies conducted on this topic, the evidence that is available shows that red cars are not pulled over more often than cars of other colors. What is interesting to note here is that silver and grey cars do seem to be pulled over statistically more frequently than other car colors, according to Snopes.com.

That's something to think about when selecting your next vehicle.

Avoid getting pulled over

There are many reasons why a police officer would pull you over. For example, you are actually speeding, you have a broken headlight or turn signal, you ran a red light, your driving is erratic or you are driving too slowly.

Knowing what will get you pulled over is the first step in avoiding a ticket.

Another way to avoid getting pulled over is to pay attention to the flow of traffic. If you are constantly have to tap your breaks, you are either driving too fast or you are following to the cars in front of you too closely. Both of these things can make you stand out.

Your best bet is to blend into the driving patterns exhibited by the other drivers on the road.

For example, if a group of 10 is driving 60 miles an hour in a 50 mile an hour zone, you can feel fairly confident that if you keep up with the pack you won't get pulled over -- and you will be able to make great time on the highway.

Be responsible

Overall, the best way to avoid getting stopped is to follow all posted speed limits and follow the rules of the road.

Occasionally we all make mistakes and break a driving law. When it happens, accept responsibility for your mistake and be respectful to the officer who pulled you over.

The more congenial you are to them, the more likely it will be that they will let you off with just a warning.

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